Imperial Household Agency: Kohata Tomb of Prince Iyo
Location
Fushimi-ku, Kyoto
Shape
Keyhole-shaped mound
Mound length
120 m
Period
End of 4th–beginning of 5th c.
Designation
IHA-managed tomb
IHA designation
Managed by the IHA (mound closed to the public)
Overview
In Momoyama-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto: one of Kyoto City's largest kofun, hidden on the Fushimi hills — quiet proof that a near-royal lord ruled this basin centuries before the Heian capital.
Finds & research
In a 1974 Imperial Household Agency watching survey, a feature thought to be the gravel bed of a clay-encased coffin was found in the mound's cliff face; iron lamellae (possibly from a leather-laced lamellar helmet), band-shaped fittings and circular fittings were recovered beside it. A 1996 Hanazono University excavation found a row of haniwa at the foot of the mound, including shield-shaped haniwa, one with a human figure incised on its fin.
Official status & archaeological view
Official status
The Imperial Household Agency manages it as the Kohata Tomb of Prince Iyo, Emperor Kanmu's son (designated 1884). According to bulletin no. 27 of the IHA Archives and Mausolea Department, the IHA manages the part at the top of the mound, where one five-ring stone pagoda stands. The front section became school grounds in the 1940s–50s, so the tomb precinct covers only part of the mound. The managed area is closed to entry.
Attribution (jitei): the Imperial Household Agency's determination of whose tomb it manages — separate from heritage designation.
Archaeological view
A keyhole mound about 120m long; most of the front has been lost. A 2023 Kyoto City cultural-properties bulletin places it in the last phase (phase 4) of the Early Kofun period in its chronology chart, while the Fushimi Ward Office describes it as built after the start of the 5th century. Kyoto City calls it one of the largest keyhole mounds in the city, and the ward office cites it as one of the tombs showing the presence of a chief who ruled the Fushimi area.
Field notes
The approach is locked; exterior viewing only. Near JR Momoyama Station.